Thursday, January 24, 2013

In an unprecedented move, the Pentegon stated today that it is reversing its ban on women fighting in combat roles. Outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said, "If they can meet the standards, there is no reason why they shouldn't have the chance." This is a terrible reversal of the long-standing position of the Pentegon that only males should serve in combat roles, and one more attack on both women and the family.

This decision has far-reaching ramifications. One is the issue of the draft. If men and women are to be considered absolutely equal with regard to combat roles, this opens the question of whether women should be included in the event of the need to reinstitute the draft. According to present policy, all young men between the ages of 18-25 have to register for the draft. This decision by the Pentegon opens the way for women to be included in this registration. Our 18 year old young ladies could be drafted and sent to combat. It is now not beyond imagination to see stay-at-home moms with several children being sent off to fight our wars.

The Bible stresses that women are the "weaker vessel" (1 Peter 3:7) and should be cherished and protected by men. In the history of our nation, this has always been our operating principle. Even today, maritime practice is for women and children to have priority when occupying lifeboats. Women have always had the role of caring for the family. In all of our previous major military conflicts (pre-Vietnam), men went to battle while families were maintained and protected by the women.

Of course, such statements are hailed as chauvinistic and ignorant by modern feminists, who have labored hard to remove all distinctions between men an women. To refuse a woman any role occupied by a man is considered discriminatory and degrading. These charges do nothing to change the reality of the Biblical distinction between men and women. Men are given the duty of protection and provision as husbands and fathers while women have been assigned the duty of being nurturers as wives and mothers. Biblical texts make it clear that "wives" and "little ones" are to remain at home, while the men go to war (Joshua 1:14). Men have been given the physical strength to carry out their responsiblity as protectors and defenders. Women have been given the unique emotional qualities that equip them as loving nurturers.

A nation's morality is clearly revealed in the way it fights its wars. Today, we have pronounced that as a nation we no longer feel a responsiblity to protect our women and children. We have declared that a man should no longer see himself in the role of protector. We have decided to cast aside these high principles of virtue, laying them on the altar of political correctness.

The truth is, you cannot remove these God-given distinctions between men and women. Woman are natural nurturers and men are natural protectors. Transfer this to the battlefield and you put our armed forces in danger.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

One of the characteristics of our fallen world is discontent. The lost man is constantly seeking something to fill the empty void in his life. He is always looking to the next thrill or the next fulfillment of the flesh. The lust for material gain is unending and the quest for pleasure is an endless pursuit.

For the Christian, our search is over. We have found the greatest of all treasures and that which fills our hearts with delight. We have found God to be all sufficient. Sadly, however, it is possible for a Christian to lose sight of this treasure. He can once again begin rummaging through earthly sludge for his source of contentment. He begins looking at this life’s circumstances as the measure of his joy. When Providence takes a frowning turn he becomes filled with impatience and sorrow. How different are those whose joy is in Christ. The Apostle Paul declared, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). David said, “My refuge is in God” (Psalm 62:7).

Christian contentment is not stocism that sits back during times of trial and declares, “What will be will be.” And it is not a dull acceptance of every difficulty that comes our way. Contentment does not rule out impassioned pleadings before God. Surely God’s people seek His aid through every affliction.But Christian contentment creates a submissive heart that unites our will with the will of God. It is a heart that has learned to wait upon God while trusting His care. The heart of contentment has discovered the faithfulness of God’s Word and the wonderful solace to be found within the pages of Scripture. He prays God’s Word back to Him, “Strengthen thou me according to thy Word” (Psalm 119:28). “Uphold me according to thy Word” (Psalm 119:116).

We must see contentment as one of the chief graces. J.C. Ryle called it “one of the rarest graces. The fallen angels were not content. Adam and Eve were not content. Paul declared that he had “learned” contentment. We should pray for it—that we might be satisfied with Christ, even when deprived of every earthly comfort.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

J.C. Ryle wrote a little book entitled, How Readest Thou. In it he wrote of the greatness and importance of the Bible and the sad neglect of so many in reading it. He wrote, "No gift of God to man is so awfully neglected and misused as the Bible. One sweeping charge may be brought against the whole of Christendom, and that charge is the neglect and abuse of the Bible." In his final summation he challenged his readers to examine themselves regarding their reading of the Bible. His words are as follows (I've abridged his word for brevity):

This paper may fall into the hands of someone
who is willing to begin reading the Bible, but wants advice on the subject. Are
you that man? Listen to me, and I will give a few short hints.

(a) For one thing, begin reading your Bible this
very day. The way to do a thing is to do it, and the way to read the Bible is
actually to read it. It is not meaning, or wishing, or resolving, or intending,
or thinking about it, which will advance you one step. You must positively
read.

(b) For another thing, read the Bible with an
earnest desire to understand it. Think not for a moment that the great object
is to turn over a certain quantity of printed paper, and that it matters
nothing whether you understand it or not. Some ignorant people seem to fancy
that all is done if they clear off so many chapters every day, though they may
not have a notion what they are all about, and only know that they have pushed
on their mark so many leaves. This is turning Bible reading into a mere form.
Work hard, and do not give up the work in a hurry.

(c) For another thing, read the Bible with
child-like faith and humility. Open your heart as you open your book, and say,
"Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." Resolve to believe implicitly
whatever you find there, however much it may run counter to your own
prejudices. Resolve to receive heartily every statement of truth, whether you
like it or not.

(d) For another thing, read the Bible in a spirit
of obedience and self-application. Sit down to the study of it with a daily
determination that you will live by its rules, rest on its statements, and act
on its commands. Consider, as you travel through every chapter, "How does
this affect my position and course of conduct? What does this teach me?

(e) For another thing, read the Bible daily. Make
it a part of every day's business to read and meditate on some portion of God's
Word. Private means of grace are just as needful every day for our souls as
food and clothing are for our bodies. Yesterday's bread will not feed the
labourer today, and today's bread will not feed the labourer tomorrow.

(f) For another thing, read all the Bible, and read
it in an orderly way. I fear there are many parts of the Word which some people
never read at all. This is to say the least, a very presumptuous habit.
"All Scripture is profitable." (2 Tim. 3:16) To this habit maybe traced that want of broad, well-proportioned
views of truth, which is so common in this day. Some people's Bible-reading is
a system of perpetual dipping and picking. They do not seem to have an idea of
regularly going through the whole book..

(g) For another thing, read the Bible fairly and
honestly. Determine to take everything in its plain, obvious meaning, and
regard all forced interpretations with great suspicion. As a general rule,
whatever a verse of the Bible seems to mean, it does mean.

(h) In the last place, read the Bible with Christ
continually in view. The grand primary object of all Scripture is to testify of
Jesus. Keep fast hold on this clue, if you would read the Bible aright.

This paper may fall into the hands of someone
who loves and believes the Bible, and yet reads it but little.

I fear there
are many such in this day. It is a day of bustle and hurry. It is a day of
talking, and committee meetings, and public work. These things are all very
well in their way, but I fear that they sometimes clip and cut short the
private reading of the Bible. Does your conscience tell you that you are one of
the persons I speak of?

Listen to me, and I will say a few things which
deserve your serious attention.

You are the man that is likely to get little
comfort from the Bible in time of need. Trial is a sifting season. Affliction
is a searching wind, which strips the leaves off the trees, and brings to light
the birds' nests. Now I fear that your stores of Bible consolations may one day
run very low. I fear lest you should find yourself at last on very short
allowance, and come into harbour weak, worn and thin.

You are the man that is likely never to be
established in the truth. I shall not be surprised to hear that you are
troubled with doubts and questionings about assurance, grace, faith,
perseverance, and the like. The devil is an old and cunning enemy. He can quote
Scripture readily enough when he pleases. Now you are not sufficiently ready
with your weapons to be able to fight a good fight with him. Your armour does
not fit you well. Your sword sits loosely in your hand.

You are the man that is likely to make mistakes in
life. I shall not wonder if I am told that you have erred about your own
marriage,—erred about your children's education,-erred about the conduct of
your household, erred about the company you keep. The world you steer through
is full of rocks, and shoals, and sandbanks. You are not sufficiently familiar
either with the lights or charts.

This paper may fall into the hands of some who
really love the Bible, live upon the Bible, and read it much.

Are you one
of these? Give me your attention, and I will mention a few things which we
shall do well to lay to heart for time to come.

Let us resolve to read the Bible more and more
every year we live. Let us try to get it rooted in our memories, and engrafted
into our hearts. Let us be thoroughly well provisioned with it against the
voyage of death. Who knows but we may have a very stormy passage?

Let us resolve to be more watchful over our Bible
reading every year that we live. Let us be jealously careful about the time we
give to it, and the manner that time is spent. Let us beware of omitting our
daily reading without sufficient cause.

Let us resolve to honour the Bible more in our
families. Let us read it morning and evening to our children and households,
and not be ashamed to let men see that we do so. Let us not be discouraged by
seeing no good arise from it.

Let us resolve to meditate more on the Bible. It is
good to take with us two or three texts when we go out into the world, and to
turn them over and over in our minds whenever we have a little leisure. It
keeps out many vain thoughts.

Let us resolve to talk more to believers about the
Bible when we meet them. Alas, the conversation of Christians, when they do
meet, is often sadly unprofitable! How many frivolous, and trifling, and
uncharitable things are said! Let us bring out the Bible more, and it will help
to drive the devil away, and keep our hearts in tune.

Last of all, let us resolve to live by the Bible
more and more every year we live.

I commend all these things to the serious and
prayerful attention of every one into whose hands this paper may fall.